Nicole Bobek
Encyclopedia
Nicole Bobek is an American
figure skater. She is the 1995 U.S. Champion
and World bronze medalist
.
, Bobek was raised by her Czech mother, Jana, and her friend Joyce Barron. Her parents were never married and she has never met her father, nor has any desire to do so.
, but the next year dropped to 16th at the same event. She made her first appearance at the senior World Championships in 1994, as an alternate (after both Nancy Kerrigan
and Tonya Harding
dropped out of the event), but failed to advance out of the qualifying round.
The 1995 season brought Bobek her greatest competitive success; she won gold at the U.S. Championships
, followed by the bronze medal at the World Championships
. In late 1995, Bobek toured with an ice show production of The Nutcracker
, rather than rehabilitate an ankle injury or train for the upcoming 1996 U.S. Championships. The injury forced her out of the event, and off the World team for that season. She parted ways with her coach Richard Callaghan
and joined Carlo Fassi
.
Bobek struggled with back problems during the 1996-97 season but won the bronze medal at the 1997 U.S. Championships
. Her coach Carlo Fassi died from a heart attack
at the 1997 World Championships
. She was coached for a time by his widow, Christa Fassi. She won bronze at the 1998 U.S. Nationals
. At the 1998 Winter Olympics
, she was impaired by a hip injury and finished in 17th-place. She withdrew from the subsequent World Championships due to another injury.
Bobek left her coach, Christa Fassi, and returned for the 1998-99 season to Richard Callaghan. Callaghan got Bobek back into shape and prepared her for the Grand Prix Series. She finished 4th at Skate America and 2nd at Trophée Lalique. But her season ended quickly with a series of injuries and health problems, which prevented her from competing at the 1999 U.S. National Championships. Bobek then turned professional, touring with Champions on Ice
for several years until 2004. She also appeared in numerous other shows and professional competitions. Bobek then worked as a skating coach in Florida
. In 2006, Bobek added acting to her resume; she appeared in All the King's Men
, as a skater who fascinates Governor Willy Stark.
At her peak, Bobek was a strong jumper although some of her jumps did not have the best technique; for instance, she had a very marked flutz, (a lutz jump which is done from the wrong edge). She had a lasting impact on ladies' figure skating because of her signature move, a spiral
with the free leg extended very high. Television commentators including Dick Button
and Peggy Fleming
were so complimentary of Bobek's spiral that it was widely copied by other U.S. skaters, setting off a fad for extreme flexibility moves.
Bobek was noted for her poor training discipline, for occasionally smoking cigarettes, for wearing a lot of jewelry while performing on the ice, and for changing coaches at least 11 times during her competitive skating career. She trained in California
, Michigan
, Colorado
, Florida
and Virginia
. At one point she explained her behavior by saying: "I'm a teenager. That's what we do." In addition to Richard Callaghan and Carlo and Christa Fassi, Bobek's coaches included Debbie Stoery, Kathy Casey, Hoon Kim, Barbara Roles
, Frank Carroll
, Robin Cousins
, and Mary
and Evy Scotvold.
and Tara Lipinski
, Bobek appeared in a commercial in the winter of 1998: all three performed dazzling routines at an ice rink.
She also appeared in a commercial of Panasonic
's 1998 Winter Olympics
campaign in Japan.
after using an access code to enter a friend's garage and home in Michigan
. She allegedly took cash from a purse, but was caught when the home owner arrived, at which point she returned the money. She claimed to have been given permission by another member of the household to enter the house and retrieve the cash.
At that time, Bobek was 17 years old, legally an adult under Michigan criminal law, but eligible for probation with a record of the offense sealed from the public record under a special law for youthful first offenders. She pled guilty under that law, the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, and in January 1995 was given two years' probation and a choice between 50 hours of community service
and 30 days in jail. Information regarding her case soon spread widely through skating circles, and was leaked to the news media. Under the Youthful Trainee Act, cases are to remain confidential; so in February 1995, she filed for dismissal of her case. Though journalists and legal scholars have argued that Michigan law allows journalists to release information about juvenile criminals if there is "compelling public interest," which was arguable due to her status as a world class figure skater, Bobek's motion for probation discharge was granted by the court.
In late 2006, Nicole Bobek's mother made and dropped a petition to have her sent to rehab
, worrying her daughter would break off contact. On July 6, 2009, Bobek was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
and alleged to be a member of a drug ring. On June 18, 2010 she pled guilty, and on August 16 was sentenced to five years' probation, 250 hours of community service, and a $2,500 fine.
Bobek has admitted that she is a former drug addict, and said on NBC's Today Show that she wants to help other addicts beat their addictions and would like to do ice show charity benefits. She began taking classes toward a high school equivalency diploma, and working at Palm Beach Skate Zone in Lake Worth, Florida
, after having been away from skating for about six years. She did various jobs around the rink, initially unpaid but later officially hired, with the manager saying she was very professional. In 2010, she began teaching power skating and edge skills to junior hockey players at the rink. Her friend Todd Eldredge
invited her to a Stars on Ice show, where she reconnected with her old coach Richard Callaghan
and began visiting him once a week to get back in shape. Bobek returned to performing at the Skate for Love benefit for Susan G. Komen for the Cure
in April 2011, hosted by her friend JoJo Starbuck
. Bobek said, "I've been back on the ice about a year now. It took me a long time to get my balance again after six years; you really lose the rotation and all of those things. It took three months to do a single Axel again."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
figure skater. She is the 1995 U.S. Champion
1995 United States Figure Skating Championships
The 1995 United States Figure Skating Championships was the United States Figure Skating Championships of the 1994-1995 figure skating season. They were the national championship to determine the national champions of the United States. They were held in Providence, Rhode Island.Skaters competed in...
and World bronze medalist
1995 World Figure Skating Championships
The 1995 World Figure Skating Championships were the World Figure Skating Championships of the 1994-1995 season. Elite senior-level figure skaters from ISU Member Nations competed for the title of World Champion...
.
Biography
An only childOnly child
An only child is a person with no siblings, either biological or adopted. In a family with multiple offspring, first-borns, may be briefly considered only children and have a similar early family environment, but the term only child is generally applied only to those individuals who never have...
, Bobek was raised by her Czech mother, Jana, and her friend Joyce Barron. Her parents were never married and she has never met her father, nor has any desire to do so.
Skating career
Bobek's fondness for skating started when she was three. She first came to national prominence by placing 2nd at the novice level of the U.S. Championships in 1989; Bobek was 11 years old. In the next few seasons, she worked her way up the competitive rankings at the national level. She was known as an athletic jumper and a charismatic performer, but an erratic competitor and undisciplined student, often arriving late to training and skipping school. Bobek placed 4th at the 1992 World Junior Championships1992 World Junior Figure Skating Championships
The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...
, but the next year dropped to 16th at the same event. She made her first appearance at the senior World Championships in 1994, as an alternate (after both Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...
and Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...
dropped out of the event), but failed to advance out of the qualifying round.
The 1995 season brought Bobek her greatest competitive success; she won gold at the U.S. Championships
1995 United States Figure Skating Championships
The 1995 United States Figure Skating Championships was the United States Figure Skating Championships of the 1994-1995 figure skating season. They were the national championship to determine the national champions of the United States. They were held in Providence, Rhode Island.Skaters competed in...
, followed by the bronze medal at the World Championships
1995 World Figure Skating Championships
The 1995 World Figure Skating Championships were the World Figure Skating Championships of the 1994-1995 season. Elite senior-level figure skaters from ISU Member Nations competed for the title of World Champion...
. In late 1995, Bobek toured with an ice show production of The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
, rather than rehabilitate an ankle injury or train for the upcoming 1996 U.S. Championships. The injury forced her out of the event, and off the World team for that season. She parted ways with her coach Richard Callaghan
Richard Callaghan
Richard Callaghan is an American figure skating coach. He is best known as the long-time coach of Todd Eldredge, 6-time U.S. Champion and 1996 World Champion. He also coached Nicole Bobek to her national title, and Tara Lipinski to U.S., World, and Olympic titles.As a competitive skater,...
and joined Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi was a well-known Italian figure skater and international coach whose students included several World and Olympic champions.-Career:Fassi was born in Milan....
.
Bobek struggled with back problems during the 1996-97 season but won the bronze medal at the 1997 U.S. Championships
1997 United States Figure Skating Championships
The 1997 United States Figure Skating Championships were the United States Figure Skating Championships of the 1996-1997 figure skating season. They were a national championship to determine the national champions of the United States....
. Her coach Carlo Fassi died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the 1997 World Championships
1997 World Figure Skating Championships
The 1997 World Figure Skating Championships were the World Figure Skating Championships of the 1996-1997 season. Elite senior-level figure skaters from ISU Member Nations competed for the title of World Champion. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating,...
. She was coached for a time by his widow, Christa Fassi. She won bronze at the 1998 U.S. Nationals
1998 United States Figure Skating Championships
The 1998 United States Figure Skating Championships were the United States Figure Skating Championships of the 1997-1998 figure skating season. They were a national championship to determine the national champions of the United States....
. At the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
, she was impaired by a hip injury and finished in 17th-place. She withdrew from the subsequent World Championships due to another injury.
Bobek left her coach, Christa Fassi, and returned for the 1998-99 season to Richard Callaghan. Callaghan got Bobek back into shape and prepared her for the Grand Prix Series. She finished 4th at Skate America and 2nd at Trophée Lalique. But her season ended quickly with a series of injuries and health problems, which prevented her from competing at the 1999 U.S. National Championships. Bobek then turned professional, touring with Champions on Ice
Champions on Ice
Champions on Ice was a touring ice show in the United States. The show featured a large cast of both professional and Olympic-eligible figure skaters along with novelty acts such as skating acrobats. The shows were focused primarily on solo performances by the skaters rather than ensemble work or...
for several years until 2004. She also appeared in numerous other shows and professional competitions. Bobek then worked as a skating coach in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In 2006, Bobek added acting to her resume; she appeared in All the King's Men
All the King's Men (2006 film)
All the King's Men is a 2006 film adaptation of the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. It was directed by Steven Zaillian, who also produced and scripted....
, as a skater who fascinates Governor Willy Stark.
| "[Bobek] coupled athleticism with ingenuity, choreographing her own routines and often improvising during performances. She was a master at playing to crowds who were wowed by her beauty and grace and a flexibility that seemed to ease her effortlessly into a trademark spiral move, her leg held straight up to her ear." |
| —ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming.... .com sportswriter Amy K. Nelson on Bobek's skating. |
At her peak, Bobek was a strong jumper although some of her jumps did not have the best technique; for instance, she had a very marked flutz, (a lutz jump which is done from the wrong edge). She had a lasting impact on ladies' figure skating because of her signature move, a spiral
Spiral (figure skating)
A spiral is an element in figure skating where the skater glides on one foot while raising the free leg above hip level. It is akin to the arabesque in ballet....
with the free leg extended very high. Television commentators including Dick Button
Dick Button
Richard Totten "Dick" Button is an American former figure skater and a well-known long-time skating television analyst. He is a two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion...
and Peggy Fleming
Peggy Fleming
Peggy Gail Fleming is an American figure skater. She is the 1968 Olympic Champion in Ladies' singles and a three-time World Champion...
were so complimentary of Bobek's spiral that it was widely copied by other U.S. skaters, setting off a fad for extreme flexibility moves.
Bobek was noted for her poor training discipline, for occasionally smoking cigarettes, for wearing a lot of jewelry while performing on the ice, and for changing coaches at least 11 times during her competitive skating career. She trained in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. At one point she explained her behavior by saying: "I'm a teenager. That's what we do." In addition to Richard Callaghan and Carlo and Christa Fassi, Bobek's coaches included Debbie Stoery, Kathy Casey, Hoon Kim, Barbara Roles
Barbara Roles
Barbara Ann Roles , born April 6, 1941 in San Mateo, California) is an American former figure skater who currently works as a coach. She is the 1960 Olympic bronze medalist and the 1962 United States Champion....
, Frank Carroll
Frank Carroll
Francis M. "Frank" Carroll is an American figure skating coach and former competitive skater. He has coached three skaters to win the World Figure Skating Championships: Linda Fratianne, Michelle Kwan, and Evan Lysacek...
, Robin Cousins
Robin Cousins
Robert "Robin" Cousins is a British retired competitive figure skater. He is the 1980 Olympic Champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist and four-time British national champion. He later starred in ice shows and also produced his own...
, and Mary
Mary Scotvold
Mary Batdorf Scotvold is an American figure skating coach, best known for her work with Olympic medalists Paul Wylie and Nancy Kerrigan, whom she co-coached with her husband, Evy Scotvold....
and Evy Scotvold.
Endorsements
Bobek's skating led to an endorsement contract with Campbell's Soup. Along with fellow skaters Michelle KwanMichelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
and Tara Lipinski
Tara Lipinski
Tara Kristen Lipinski is an American figure skater. At the age of 15, she won the Ladies' Singles Olympic gold medal in figure skating at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Lipinski remains the youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games. She is also the 1997 World...
, Bobek appeared in a commercial in the winter of 1998: all three performed dazzling routines at an ice rink.
She also appeared in a commercial of Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
's 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
campaign in Japan.
Film
Bobek appeared in the 2006 remake of the film All The King's Men, starring Sean Penn and based on the novel of the same name by Robert Penn Warren. She appears on skates in a scene directly from the novel.Legal problems
In November 1994, Bobek was charged with first degree home invasionHome invasion
Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally...
after using an access code to enter a friend's garage and home in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. She allegedly took cash from a purse, but was caught when the home owner arrived, at which point she returned the money. She claimed to have been given permission by another member of the household to enter the house and retrieve the cash.
At that time, Bobek was 17 years old, legally an adult under Michigan criminal law, but eligible for probation with a record of the offense sealed from the public record under a special law for youthful first offenders. She pled guilty under that law, the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, and in January 1995 was given two years' probation and a choice between 50 hours of community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
and 30 days in jail. Information regarding her case soon spread widely through skating circles, and was leaked to the news media. Under the Youthful Trainee Act, cases are to remain confidential; so in February 1995, she filed for dismissal of her case. Though journalists and legal scholars have argued that Michigan law allows journalists to release information about juvenile criminals if there is "compelling public interest," which was arguable due to her status as a world class figure skater, Bobek's motion for probation discharge was granted by the court.
In late 2006, Nicole Bobek's mother made and dropped a petition to have her sent to rehab
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
, worrying her daughter would break off contact. On July 6, 2009, Bobek was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
and alleged to be a member of a drug ring. On June 18, 2010 she pled guilty, and on August 16 was sentenced to five years' probation, 250 hours of community service, and a $2,500 fine.
Bobek has admitted that she is a former drug addict, and said on NBC's Today Show that she wants to help other addicts beat their addictions and would like to do ice show charity benefits. She began taking classes toward a high school equivalency diploma, and working at Palm Beach Skate Zone in Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, which takes its name from the body of water along its eastern border, originally called "Lake Worth", and now generally known as the Lake Worth Lagoon. The lake itself was named for General William J. Worth, who led U.S. forces during the last...
, after having been away from skating for about six years. She did various jobs around the rink, initially unpaid but later officially hired, with the manager saying she was very professional. In 2010, she began teaching power skating and edge skills to junior hockey players at the rink. Her friend Todd Eldredge
Todd Eldredge
Todd James Eldredge is an American figure skater. He is the 1996 World Champion and a six-time national champion .-Biography:...
invited her to a Stars on Ice show, where she reconnected with her old coach Richard Callaghan
Richard Callaghan
Richard Callaghan is an American figure skating coach. He is best known as the long-time coach of Todd Eldredge, 6-time U.S. Champion and 1996 World Champion. He also coached Nicole Bobek to her national title, and Tara Lipinski to U.S., World, and Olympic titles.As a competitive skater,...
and began visiting him once a week to get back in shape. Bobek returned to performing at the Skate for Love benefit for Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the US....
in April 2011, hosted by her friend JoJo Starbuck
JoJo Starbuck
JoJo Starbuck is an American figure skater. With partner Kenneth Shelley, she is a three-time United States pair skating champion and two-time Olympian ....
. Bobek said, "I've been back on the ice about a year now. It took me a long time to get my balance again after six years; you really lose the rotation and all of those things. It took three months to do a single Axel again."
Results
| Event | 1988-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
17th | ||||||||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
25th | 3rd | 13th | ||||||||
| World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion... |
4th | 16th | |||||||||
| U.S. Championships United States Figure Skating Championships The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters... |
2nd N. | 4th J. | 8th | 7th | 5th | 3rd | 1st | WD | 3rd | 3rd | |
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
6th | 7th | 6th | 4th | |||||||
| Skate Canada International Skate Canada International The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is the second competition of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies' singles, Men's... |
5th | ||||||||||
| Trophée Lalique | 5th | 2nd | |||||||||
| Nations Cup | 3rd | ||||||||||
| Cup of Russia Cup of Russia The Cup of Russia is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. It was held as the Rostelecom Cup in 2009 after... |
6th | ||||||||||
| Vienna Cup Karl Schäfer Memorial The Karl Schäfer Memorial is an annual elite senior-level figure skating competition held in Vienna, Austria. Skaters compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The competition is named for figure skater Karl Schäfer. The competition is usually held in... |
1st | ||||||||||
| Goodwill Games Goodwill Games The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s... |
7th | ||||||||||
| U.S. Olympic Festival | 7th | 1st |
- J = Junior level
- N = Novice Level
- WD = Withdrawal